Door construction



Dec. 3, 1935. J. I. BYRNE DOOR cousmuc'non Filed July 27, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l.\'l 'ENTOR. J01, Il/SI Brmva.

lllillllllliil l A TTORM-l' '2 Dec. 3, 1935.

J. l. BYRNE 2,023,193

DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 27, 1951' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Juz 11/615 mwz.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f noon CONSTRUCTION I Julius I. Byrne, betroit, Mich. Application July 27, 1931, Serial No. 553,460

11 Claims. (cl. 20-19) The invention relates to door constructions and refers more particularly to door constructions for use in warehouses, airplane hangars, and the like, in which the doors have considerable width.

5 One 01 the objects of the invention is to provide an improved door construction which is opened by raising the same and in which the door moves bodily vertically during the first portion of the raising movement and then swings toward horil zontal position. Another object is to so construct the door construction that it has positive guiding means. A further object is to so arrange the door construction that provision is made for imperfect location of the parts of the framework of the 35 building to which the tracks of the guiding means ,are secured. These and other objects of the in-' vention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which 20 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a building having a door construction embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough; Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections respectively on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 2; 25 Figures 5 and 6 are detail views of a hanger for the door;

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are views similar to Figure 2, showing modifications;

Figure 11 is a cross section on the line ll-ll 30 of Figure 7;

Figures 12 and 13 are cross sections on the lines i2--l2 and l3--l3 of Figure 8;

Figure 14 is a cross section on the line M-ll of Figure 9;

35 Figure 15 is a cross section on the line i5-i5 of Figure 10.

As illustrated in the present instance, the door construction is for use in airplane hangars and, as shown particularly in Figure 1, the door i oc- 40 cupies substantially the complete width of the building and has a span suiiicient to readily permit passage through the opening closed thereby of any airplane. The door I, as shown more particularly in Figure 2, has a reinforced metal frame 45 with the top and bottom channel-shaped rails 2 and 3, respectively, and the upright channelshaped rails 4. The door is adapted to be opened by being raised and it is desirable and important that this door in opening should first move ver- 50 tically and then be swung or tilted to horizontal position. The vertical movement is preferably about eight inches, but for practical purposes it may be greater or less. The door has secured to its end rails the rollers 5 which are preferably 10- 55 cated intermediate the upper and lower edges of the door and which engage suitable upright guide channels 6 secured to the jambs at the sides of the door opening. I

In certain cases, such as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a series of head guides or tracks is re- 5 quired for the door. In detafl, I represents the head guides or tracks, there being three in the present instance. Each head guide ortrack is formed of a pair of channel members 8 spaced apart and facing toward each other and rigidly 10 supported above the door upon the frame work of the building. 9 and III are upper and lower guide plates rigidly secured respectively to the upper and lower flanges of the channel members and extending laterally inwardly beyond these flanges 1 for engagement with the hangers ll, there being one hanger for each guide or track.

Each hanger comprises the arm or frame ll having one end pivotally connected to the upper edge of the door and provided at the other end with a pair of rollers i2 and intermediate its ends with the pair of rollers I 3. The rollers are at opposite sides of the arm or frame and are adapted to engage and be positively guided by the plates 9 and I0.

For the purpose of securing vertical movement of the door during the first portion of its raising, each hanger has pivotally secured thereto the latch arm I 4 which has at the lower edgeof its free end the downwardly opening notch l5 forming a hook adapted to engage the transversely extending pin [6 rigidly secured to and extending between the channel members 8. The latch arm is pivoted to the hanger arm or frame on the same axis as the intermediate rollers l3 and has an effective length approximately equal to that of the portion of the hanger arm or frame between the intermediate rollers and the pivot connecting this arm or frame to the door. The lower plates II) have their front ends terminating at a point such that when the latch arm is hooked over its pin the intermediate rollers pass beyond the front ends of the lower plates. To releasethe latch arm iromits pin the hanger arm or frame is provided with the detent IT in the nature of an upwardly extending, projection and adapted to engage the latch arm upon upward swinging of the hanger arm or frame and preferably just prior to movement of the intermediate rollers along the upper surfaces of the lower plates II] For the purpose of moving the door toward horizontal position and preferably to horizontal position during the final portion of its opening movement, the rear end portions of each guide v 2,028,198 or track extend upwardly. More specifically, the.

5 the lower plates Ill and the lower flanges of the channel members and these plates, l8 and I! are spaced apart a distance 'sufllcient to receive the rear rollers I! of the hanger, as 'shownparticularl'y in Figure 2,' when thehanger has been moved sufllci'ently rearwardly, thereby providing I location and more particularly horizontal alignfor tilting the hanger about its intermediate rollers l3 and lowering by the action of gravity the.

edge ofthe} door corresponding to the upper edge when the door is closed. The tilting is such that I provides'm'aximum clearance.

To raisethe door, I have provided the series" of linear members 20,- such as steel cables, there being five in the present instance. These linear 0 members extend in front of the door when closed and have their lowerends secured to the door by suitable nieans, such as the clevices 2!, which -.are located preferably near the vertical center of the door. In this connection the rollers 5 are located with respect to these clevices toisecure practical operating clearance for the clevices.

guide" or track comprises the angle bar 2! having a transverse flange, the opposite sides of which are engageablewith the rollers 3|! which are journalled upon the .arm 3|. This arm is pivotally connected at itscenter to the bracket 32,. which latter is fixedly secured'to the top rail of' the door. The front end of each head guide or track 5 the door in its open position -is horizontal and These linear members extend over the sheaves "22 which are secured upon the shafts 23, which latter are mountedupon the frame work of the building anglare located above the. door. Suitable counterweights I! for the door are secured to the linear members and these linear members may be actuated either manually or by power to effect the raising and closing of the door but,

as shown, the. linear members are power driven.

It will be seen that-with this arrangement the linear members in raising the" door tend to tilt the door in a direction suchthatits upper edge will move rearwardly.

For the purpose oftaking=care of inaccuracy in ment and spacing of the head guides or=tracks 'l,

provision is made for variably connecting in transverse directions the hangers to the door and the head guides or tracks. Specifically, there is a pair of brackets 25 for each hanger and each of these brackets is adapted to be vertically adjustably secured to the top rail 2 of the doorby the securing. bolts and nuts 26 and the shims 21 50 between the foot' flanges of these brackets'and zontally, so that it is not necessaryto accurately align the head guides or tracks.

To assist in closing this door auxiliary means "may be providedfor applying power to the door in counter relation to the leverage efl'ectand 13, the head guide or track construction is dilfer- '-Figures 7 and 11 with the vertically extending has the vertically extending portion 33 for posi-' -tically extending portion is. upwardly and rearwardly inclined .to provide for gradual tilting of the door and the rear portion 34' of each head guide or track is downwardly and rearwardly in- 15 clined to positively tilt the door to horizontal position. With this construction it will be seen that the door is positively guided during its raising and closing movements and has during its raising movement an initial vertical movement and then a tilting movement terminating when the door extends horizontally. In the modification shown in Figures 8, 12' and ent-and'each head guide or track construction comprises links 35 which have theiriower ends pivotally connected to'one of the'faces of the upper portion of the door". In the present instance, there are two links 35 at the ends of the door and pivotally connected to its rear face. The upper end. of each link is provided with the upper and lower pairs of rollers 31 and ime-- tively spaced longitudinally of the link. Each head track is T-shaped in elevation and has the vertically extending portion 39 and the horizontally extending portion ll connecting into the vertically extending portion between its upper and lower ends. Both of these portions have the same cross section as the guide oi track shown in portion opening rearwardly and the horizontally extending portion opening-downwardly.- The upper part or web of the horizontally extending portion is cut away at II to receive the portion of the link 35 above the lower rollers 38 when the I by the vertically extending portions 3! of each head guide or track. However, when each link is moved upwardly so that its lower rollers regconsequent tilting action exerted by the linear members upon the door. As specifically shown,

34 are counterweights connected to the upper edge portion of the door in a manner tending to compeLthis upper edge portion to move forward- ,ly-, these counterweights beirig such that they 0 counterbalance the tilting eflort exerted by'the linear members.

the modification shown in Figures '1 and -11 the parts have the same general arrangement with the exception. that the head guides or tracks are different. In'this modification eachhead later with the transversely-extending portion ll of the head guide or track and its upper rollers engage the stop 39' at the upper end of. cach'vertically extending track portion these lower rollers will automatically enter the horizontally extendjingportion by reason of the tilting eflort pro duced upon the door'by the linear members, so that the door will be moved angularly or tilted to horizontal position.

In the modification shown in Figures 9 and 14, I

the parts areso constructed that the same operation is'secured. However, in this modification there are supporting plates 42 located above the door and extending transversely thereof. Each supporting plate is provided with the T-shaped slot having the vertically extending portion 43 and the horizontally extending portion ll con-'70..

lower links 46 and 41, respectively, with the lower end or the lower link pivotally connected to one of the faces of the upper portion of the door when in closed position. Specifically, the lower link is pivotalL'v to the rear face of the door when closed. The upper end of the upper link is pivotally connected to and between the side walls of the supporting U-shaped plate 48 and the lower end of this upper link is pivotally connected to the upper end of the lower link. During the first portion of the raising movement of the door the upper link 46 is movable angularly to assume the position shown in dotted lines, at which time this movement is limited by reason of the transverse pin 49 extending between the side walls of the supporting plate-l8 and engageable with an edge portion 50 of the enlarged upper end of the lower link 41. To hold this upper link in itspredetermined position of angular adjustment while the door is being tilted upon continued raising there of, I have provided thetrans'verse stop 5|, preferably in the nature of one or more rollers, located between the side walls of the supporting plate 48 and engageable with the edge portion 52 of the enlarged upper end of the lower link 41. Both the edge portions 50 and 52 are concentric with the pivot connecting the upper and lower links so that the upper link is eiiectively secured in predetermined angular position during the tilting movement of the door. In order to positively control the movement of the door during the upward and downward swinging movements of the upper link of each hanger, the door may be provided with the auxiliary rollers 53 secured to the upper portion of its end rails and engageable with the jamb guides at the sides of the door opening.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a door construction, the combination with a door, means for bodily raising said door and track means above said door, of means connected to said door and guided by said 'track means, and means other than said track means and cooperating with said means connected to said door for compelling said door to move vertically during the first portion of the raising movement.

2. In a door construction, the combination with a door, means for bodily raising said door and stationary track means above said door, of hanger means pivotally connected to said door and enfirst portion of the raising movement.

3. In a door construction, the combination with a door, linear means for bodily raising said door and stationary tracks above said door, of hangers pivotally connected to the upper edge of said door and engaging said tracks, each of said hangers comprising an arm having a pivot for connection to said door and a pair of longitudinally spaced rollers for engaging a track with the roller nearest said pivot adapted to clear said track and permit said hanger to swing vertically, a. latch arm pivotally connected to said arm with the axis of the pivot registering substantially with that 01' said last mentioned roller and the length of the latch arm substantially equal to that portion of the hanger armbetween said last mentioned roller, and pivotal connection to said door, a stationary member engageable with thefree 5 end or said latch arm and adapted to hold the same from movement longitudinally of said track,

and means upon said hanger arm engageable with. said latch arm upon predetermined upward swinging 01! said hanger arm to release said latch arm 10 from said retaining member.

4. In a door construction, the combination with a door, means for bodily raising said door and track means above said door, of hanger means connected to said door and engaging said track 15 means, said hanger means comprising an arm having rollers spaced longitudinally thereof, said track means having a rear end portion for engaging and changing the direction of movement of one of said rollers to compel said hanger means 20 to tilt and said door to move to substantially horizontal position during the final portion of the raising movement.

5. In a door construction, the combination with adoor and means connected to said door 25 laterally beyond its center of gravity for bodily raising said door, of means for positively guiding saiddoor to compel the same to move vertically during the first portion of the raising movement and to swing toward horizontal position during 30 the succeeding portion of the raising movement,

' and means acting directly on said door in counterrelation to the leverage effect produced by said raisingmeans.

6. In a door construction, the combination 35 with a door, means for raising said door and track means above said door, of hanger means connected to said door' and engaging said track means, said hanger means comprising an arm having rollers spaced longitudinally thereof, said 40 track means having an upright portion at its rear end for engaging and changing the direction of movement of one of said rollers to compel said hanger means to swing and lower the portion of said door to which said hanger means is connected. i5

7. In a door construction, the combination with a door and means connected to said door for bodily raising the same and exerting a rearward pressure upon its upper portion, of means acting on the upper portion of said door to 50 counterbalance the rearward pressure exertedthereupon.

8. In a door construction, the combination with a door movable from closed position upwardly and angularly to open position and track'55 means positioned above said door in both of said positions and having a transversely extending track portion, of hanger means comprising an arm having upper and lower portions, rollers spaced longitudinally of said upper portion and engaging 60 said track means, and means for pivotally connecting said lower portion to said door, one of said rollers being engageable with said transversely extending track portion thereby providing for swinging of said hanger means during the 65 movement of said door to open position.

9. In a door construction, the combination with a door adapted while moving to open position to initially move substantially vertically upwardly and to subsequently move upwardly and angularly, of means for positively guiding said door duringits movement to open position, said guiding means comprising tracks and hangers connected to said door, each hanger comprising an arm and a pair of rollers mounted on said arm,

one of said rollers engaging one of said tracks above said door, when the latter is closed, one of said rollers being vertically movable during the initial portion of the opening movement of said 5 door. and theother of said rollers being vertically mounted on said arm, one of said rollers engaging its track at all times and the other of said rollers being adapted to move through the opening in its track and also. to engage its track.

11. In a door construction the combinationwith a door movable from closed position upwardly and angularly to open position, of means for guiding said door during its movement to open position, said guiding means comprising tracks and hangers connected to said door, each track 5;, having a substantially rectilinear portion and each hanger comprising'an arm and a pair of rollers mounted on'said arm,,one oi! said rollers being engageable with the substantially rectilinear portion of its track to movethrough a sub- 10 stantially' rectilinear path and the other of said rollers being movable vertically relative to said substantially rectilinear portion during one portion of the opening movement of said door and being engageable with said substantially recti- 15 4,; linear portion and movablethrough a substantially rectilinear path during another portion or the opening movement of said door.

JULIUS 1. 3mm. 20 

